If your senior loved one is like most aging adults, he or she has a veritable pharmacy in his or her kitchen. Tucked within the fridge and pantry are a bounty of foods with healing properties. Read on to learn about the remedies you’ll find in the refrigerator and behind cabinet doors. 1. Apples Apples combat a variety of health-related…
Hospital readmission rates are high among the elderly. Oftentimes, seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge for the same conditions they were initially hospitalized for. Learn why readmission is common among seniors as well as what caregivers can do to help. 1. Dementia Seniors with dementia are at especially high risk for hospital readmission because they…
As retirement approaches, it's only natural for older adults to get excited. After spending decades waking up early every morning, meeting office deadlines, and facing rush hour traffic, seniors deserve to relax. However, relaxing is easier said than done, and seniors who are used to 40-hour workweeks may not know what to do with their newfound free time. Here are…
Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease tends to affect older adults, but it can also be diagnosed in people under the age of 60. After a diagnosis, one of the first questions you might ask is how long your senior loved one is expected to live. The truth is Parkinson’s disease isn’t fatal, and it’s treatable throughout each stage. While most people will…
Although heart disease affects many aging adults, lowering the risk isn’t impossible. Making healthy lifestyle choices is a great way for seniors to maintain good heart health. Here are some ways older adults can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Stop Smoking Smoking is a bad habit for people of all ages, especially seniors. It can damage the lining…
Nerves have a protective covering known as the myelin sheath. For unknown reasons, multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the sheath and creates plaque-like lesions. When this occurs, the normal transmission between nerves becomes disrupted or short-circuited, similar to what might happen when the rubber coating on wiring deteriorates. People with MS experience a wide range of symptoms that differ in severity…
Your senior loved one has reached the point where you know he or she needs help. Yet your loved one may refuse to listen to your concerns. Seniors who prize their independence may refuse to accept help out of sheer pride. Others may fear what could happen if people they don’t know come into their homes. Getting your parent to…
Some foods boost brain function, but others can cause memory loss and lead to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Family caregivers need to educate their aging loved ones about the importance of healthy eating and create a list of foods to avoid. Take a look at some of the most common foods that increase the risk of dementia in older adults.…
Seniors can experience balance issues as a result of preexisting medical conditions, side effects from prescription medications, and even psychological disorders. While balance issues in seniors aren’t unusual, they need to be addressed because they can lead to accidents and injuries. Here are several balance issues older adults commonly experience and tips on how you can reduce your aging loved…
High blood pressure can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke in seniors. While the risk of high blood pressure may be greater in those with family histories of hypertension, other things such as lifestyle factors can also play a role. Here are five things that can raise your senior loved one's blood pressure. 1. Obesity The risk of…